Samsung packs a lot of fun features and a 15x zoom lens into its HZ35W, but noisy images hold this pocket camera back.

The $349.99 (list) Samsung HZ35W is jam-packed with goodies: 12-megapixel resolution, integrated GPS for geotagging your photos, a gorgeous 3-inch OLED screen, and a generous 15x optical zoom lens. And Samsung has managed to fit all of this into a 1.1-inch deep body that you can drop into your pocket. Though I've really enjoyed other Samsung cameras in the past, like the Editors' Choice Samsung DualView TL225 ($349.99, ), this model is more difficult to recommend: Photos captured in anything but ideal lighting conditions will likely be noisy.

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Design
The HZ35W can fit in your pocket, but it will likely be the only thing in there. At 2.38 by 4.2 by 1.1 inches (HWD) and almost a half-pound, this camera isn't the slimmest or lightest you can find. But there's a reason for the extra bulk: you get 15x zoom lens, with focal length that's wider and longer than much of the competition24mm-360mm with corresponding aperture of f/3.2 (w) and f5.8 (t). The Canon PowerShot SX210 IS ($349.99, ) offers 14x zoom, but because it doesn't start as wide as the HZ35W, it goes further and offers more telephoto zoom, with a focal length of 28-392mm.

There's not much to report regarding the user interface: it's quick, simple and friendly (and pops well on the 3-inch OLED, but more on that later). Most options are controlled by a mode dial on top, and a few small metal buttons on the back of the camerait's your typical pocket camera control configuration. There's a simple Auto mode, as well as a Manual mode to control the shutter speed and aperture. There are a few extra buttons offering quick access to features: a GPS On/Off switch and a button for immediately starting and stopping video recordings.

The 3-inch display on the back of this camera is not an LCD. It's an OLED screen, and if you've never seen one, you're in for a treat. All of Samsung's superzoom competitors offer 3-inch LCDs, which tend to be a little brighter than OLEDs. But OLEDs have two advantages over LCDs: extremely deep black levels, and virtually no motion blur, so images are clear and crisp without trails from moving images. With its high contrast, the OLED is very easy on the eyes and makes framing your shots easier.

Performance
The operating speeds of the HZ35W are in line with most of the other compact-zoom cameras I've seen latelyit's quick. You can power on and take a shot in an average of 2.5 seconds. Once powered on, the there's an average wait of 0.6 seconds between shutter press and image capture, and you'll wait about 2.1 seconds between consecutive shots.

Using Imatest to collect objective image-quality information, I found serious problems with the Samsung HZ35W's images. If you shoot pictures in conditions that are less than perfect (if you're not outdoors in good light, or using the flash) your images will likely look noisy. In general, the less light the camera has to work with, the higher it has to bump the gain on its image sensor in order to collect more light. Our standard for visible noise is an average of 1.5 percent, after which the noise becomes visible. Most point-and-shoot cameras can reach at least ISO 400 without breaking the 1.5-percent threshold, and the HZ35W barely gets to ISO 200 before getting noisy. Don't even try the really high ISO settingsyou'll get unuseable images. The HZ35W averages 1.5 percent noise at IS0 200, while the Sony Cyber-shot HX5V ($349.99 direct, ) is at just 0.6 percent at the same ISO setting. When pushed to ISO 1600, the Sony HX5V hits 1.4 percent, and the HZ35W is at 1.9 percent.

After averaging 50 spots throughout the frame, the HZ35W offered a center-weighted average of 1,752 lines per picture height (2,069 in the center region, 1,566 in the part way region, and 1,043 in the corner regions.) The Sony HXV5 offers an average of 1,796 lines (1,987 in the center, 1,686 part way and 1,357 in the corners). The Fujifilm Finepix F80EXR ($299.99 direct, ) is a little sharper, but like the HZ35W, it's softer in the corners, with an average of 1,914 throughout (2,160 in the center, 1,868 in the part way and 1,066 in the corners).

Additional Features
If you do a lot of snapping while traveling, you'll appreciate that this camera has a built-in GPS you can use to geotag your photos. Photo viewing programs like iPhoto or Picasa will display the photo on a map to it to indicate where it was taken. It's a definite battery killer, but can easily be turned off to conserve power. The Sony HX5V also offers built-in GPS, and adds a compass that allows you to see where the photo was taken, as well as the direction in which the photo was shot.

Video capture looks and sounds good. The HZ35W records in 720p at 30 fps, in a file type that can easily be shared on YouTube and Facebook. If you zoom in and out or refocus while recording, the audio will cut out to avoid capturing noise from the lens. If you're a video fanatic, you're better off with the Sony Cyber-shot HX5V; it offers fantastic video recordings (1080i) with twice the frame rate (60 fps) and the option to use a higher-quality AVCHD codec.

Depending on your task at hand, connectivity options on the HZ35W are hit-and-miss. Hit: the camera has a universal micro-HDMI port, so you can plug right into your HDTV and easily view your photos and videos with a standard cable. Miss: To charge the battery and connect the camera to your computer, Samsung uses a proprietary USB port, with a proprietary cable.

On paper, there's a lot to like about the $350 Samsung HZ35Wgeotagging, a sweet OLED screen, and 15x zoom to get you closer to the action. But for the price, I expect more in the image-quality department, and so should you. If you're interested in GPS and geotagging, try the $350 Sony Cyber-Shot HX5V or Panasonic's Lumix DMC-ZS7 ($399.99, ). If extreme zoom is your top priority, take a look at the $350 Canon PowerShot SX210. All of these cameras deliver cleaner images than the Samsung HZ35W.

Samsung HZ35W

Samsung HZ35W

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